
Leigh Thomas is a student at Harvard Law School.
An Uber driver filed a class action lawsuit on Monday accusing the company of intentional race discrimination in violation of Title VII. The alleged discrimination is tied to customer evaluations of drivers. The complaint alleges “Uber is aware that passengers are prone to discriminate in their evaluation of drivers, but Uber has continued to use this system,” making it liable for intentional race discrimination, according to Bloomberg News. The named plaintiff Thomas Liu claims he experienced signs of bias from customers, and that Uber terminated him when his average rating fell below its minimum of 4.6. This lawsuit is one of many moves and countermoves in the fight over the employee status of Uber drivers. Uber claims that its drivers are independent contractors, and therefore are not covered by the employment protections in Title VII. The timing of the lawsuit is notable, just one week away from the results of California’s state referendum on Prop 22.
Another consequential ballot initiative for workers is Florida’s Amendment 2, which if approved would incrementally increase the minimum wage in Florida to $15/month by 2026. The Orlando Sentinel reports that labor unions and the business lobby have both poured money into the campaign surrounding the constitutional amendment. SEIU Florida has spent at least $1.05 million since late September to help support the amendment.
The New York City MTA announced yesterday its new plan for weekly testing of thousands of workers. The goal of the new testing program will be to test 15% of frontline workers weekly. The President of Transport Workers Union Local 100 called it “a huge step” for protecting workers from a possible second wave. Testing will take place at field cites and results will be available within 24 to 48 hours.
A new study by the CDC indicates that among health care workers, nurses are at particular risk of contracting Covid-19. The study examined hospitalization data from thirteen sites, finding that 36% of health care personnel hospitalized for Covid-19 infections were nurses. The findings highlight the need for continued infection prevention and control in health care settings. According to The New York Times, personal protective equipment shortages have increased during the newest surge of Covid-19 cases. Nurses unions have been instrumental in fighting for PPE and other safety measures for hospital workers. Michelle Mahon, the assistant director of nursing practice at the union National Nurses United, called the results of the CDC study no surprise, and affirmed that nurses need more testing to quickly isolate infection and prevent spread.
Daily News & Commentary
Start your day with our roundup of the latest labor developments. See all
May 2
Immigrant detainees win class certification; Missouri sick leave law in effect; OSHA unexpectedly continues Biden-Era Worker Heat Rule
May 1
SEIU 721 concludes a 48-hour unfair labor practice strike; NLRB Administrative Law Judge holds that Starbucks committed a series of unfair labor practices at a store in Philadelphia; AFSCME and UPTE members at the University of California are striking.
April 30
In today’s news and commentary, SEIU seeks union rights for rideshare drivers in California, New Jersey proposes applying the ABC Test, and Board officials push back on calls for layoffs. In California, Politico reports that an SEIU-backed bill that would allow rideshare drivers to join unions has passed out of committee, “clear[ing] its first hurdle.” […]
April 29
In today’s news and commentary, CFPB mass layoffs paused again, Mine Safety agency rejects union intervention, and postdoctoral researchers petition for union election. A temporary pause on mass firings at the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) has been restored. After a trial court initially blocked the administration from mass firings, the appeals court modified that […]
April 28
WA strike bill goes to governor; MLBPA discloses legal expenses; Ex-Twitter employees seek class certification against Musk.
April 27
Judge thwarts Trump's attempt to strip federal workers' labor rights; AFGE to cut over half of its staff; Harvard unions rally amid attacks.